Attention, Motivation, and Study Habits in Users of Unprescribed ADHD Medication.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Despite the limited effectiveness of ADHD medications on healthy cognition, prescription stimulants' cognitive enhancement use is increasing. This article examines enhancement users' attention, motivation, and study habits. METHOD: A total of 61 users of unprescribed stimulants and 67 controls (no history of prescription stimulant use) completed tests of objectively measured and subjectively reported attention. Self-reports on study habits, as well as motivation during laboratory attention testing, were also administered. RESULTS: Our data replicated previous findings of relatively lower self-reported attention functioning in users. Extending past research, we showed that user-control differences in attention were still present but less pronounced on objective measures than on self-report. In addition, we obtained evidence of lower motivation during cognitive testing and less optimal study habits among users, as compared with their non-using peers. CONCLUSION: Unprescribed stimulant use is more strongly related to compromised study habits, low motivation, and a subjective perception of attention problems than to objective attention performance.